Christmas Parties and Ballroom Dancing
by WinterGuardianAngel24
Summary: Memories of the past you were actually sort of fond of. "Merry Christmas brat." Slam. "Buon Natale uccellino." Crunch. "Eek! What are you two doing nee-chan?" "Dancing, of course."


**This is a Christmas Special to my story Sentiment is a Sin, if the title is anything to go by. This one-shot actually gives a little insight as to why 'you' know so much about seemingly random things, and gives a few hints to the character and future chapters.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Sentiment is a Sin- Holiday Special: Christmas Parties and Ballroom Dancing

"Nee-chan, guess what?" Tsuna asked excitedly, pulling down your files to force you to look at him quicker. But you remain unfazed, as not only as this a usual reaction, but well…didn't being a top class assassin speak for itself?

You blink lazily and stare up at the boy. "What is it little one?"

"Mama says that in Italy, you and Reborn celebrate big Christmas' so that's what we're going to do this year! Mama says that it'll be huuuuuge!" The child expanded his arms to emphasize his point.

You blink slowly. "You mean that day where a fat man in a flashy red suit gets away with making multiple breakings and entering's, as well as engorges on treats left unattended by the occupants of the house? And where stores abuses the image of said fat man to earn an extra profit from people buying tons of things that they don't even need?"

Tsuna sweat dropped. "Then, does that mean you celebrate Hanukkah?"

You quirk an eyebrow. "Isn't that the so called 'holiday' that encourages underage gambling?"

Reborn huffed a little and rolled his eyes. "Only _you_ could make a holiday lose all its magic in a mere minute."

You shrug. "It's not like I'm interested or religious."

Reborn shrugs away from the wall and shoves your feet over so that he had a place to sit on the couch. "Yes, but let's not ruin my season of getting."

"Don't you mean the season of giving?" The young one asked.

"Yes, the more everyone else gives, the more I get." Reborn smirked. "Nono and Luce gives the best gifts."

"Is that so?" You mutter uninterestedly.

Sniff.

You blink and look over to see big teary brown does eyes staring at you. Uh oh.

"N-nee-chan doesn't really hate the holidays does she?"

Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap.

"Tsu-kun loves the holidays because it means Tsu-kun gets to be with everyone Tsu-kun loves. And Tsu-kun loves nee-chan with all his heart."

Shit. Must…look…away…Do not…fall…for the eyes!

"Nee-chan loves Tsu-kun too…right?" Sniff, sniff, tear, tear.

Double shit.

Bottom lip trembling….Tear threatening to fall. You had lost this game before it had even started.

You deadpan and sigh heavily. "Go for it squirt."

Code for yes.

"Yay!" The brunet cheered and tackled you, his arms around your neck. "This is going to be the best Christmas ever!"

The child scampered off to start decorating or whatever, leaving you on the couch in exasperation.

"Did something happen that made you hate the holidays?" Giotto asked curiously from his position on the floor.

"Hm?" You hum. "Not at all. I actually have a couple of semi-pleasant memories that took place during this time a number of years back. I just don't feel like putting the energy into something I find useless."

The blond scrunched his face in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Suddenly, but not unexpectedly for you or Reborn, Nana burst into the house. "We're going to have a great big Christmas party!"

"_That's_ what I mean." You store away your files and slide the glass door open, hopping up to the roof to catch a few Z's.

You really didn't mind the holiday's too much. After all, the holiday season meant your coffee was marked down 20 percent, which meant you could buy more to make up for it. You stare up at the blue sky. You hadn't thought about any particular holiday occasion in a while though. It actually brought forward rather…positive memories, probably the only ones from your childhood and beginning years with Reborn.

* * *

_You glance around the ballroom in boredom. This gathering was more of a showcase than an actual celebration, but this was the norm of the upper underworld society. Mother had you all dressed up for the Christmas holidays. A knee length deep cranberry red dress with snow-white faux fur lining the bottom, sleeve cuffs, and shawl like thing draped over your shoulder. White gloves adorned your hand along with matching red boots with fur along the top and hanging off the ends of the laces (like a mini snowball). The other women said you would have matched that suspicious 'Saint Nicholas' character. Sounded pretty sketchy to you though, father would kill him if he dared to invade your house._

_Mother was flaunting her holiday dress around the ballroom. She would say she looked like a snow fairy queen. You would say she looked like a puffed up cat. Father was escorting mother while keeping an eye on his targets, future and present alike. This left you to do whatever you wanted, while helping father keep tabs on his marks of course._

…_How boring._

_You sigh a little and trail out to the string of balconies. It was rather fortunate that one of father's targets ventured outside, since now you had a viable excuse to escape the stuffy ballroom. You didn't like large crowds much. Father said they made great cover, but all those people made your head hurt. Your gift made it tiresome to be with lots of people._

_You hear a quite sniffle and decide to investigate, it's not like you had anything better to do anyways. You walk down the stairs and venture a ways until you find a small boy, perhaps a few years older than you, seated by one of the many fountains, scowling with his knees pulled to his chest. You take note of the slight curl of his incoming sideburns and deep blackness to his hair and eyes. Hm…his eyes were the perfect depiction of the whole black being the 'void of colors', each orb a pearl of the essence of the darkness and shadows of the night. _

_You are also quick to notice the red line peeping out under his collar. You touch a sensitive spot on your arm in sympathy. Mother chose this dress because it had sleeves, and hid all of your recent punishments easily. "I won't tell you my name, if you don't tell me yours."_

_The boy jumped in surprise and whirled around, nearly falling off the bench. His scowl deepened. "Who are you?"_

_Well wasn't _he_ the rude one? You cock an eyebrow. "I believe I just said that introductions weren't necessary."_

_His frown only developed further. "Don't act all high and mighty. Just because you sound like all the other stupid adults, doesn't mean you are one."_

_You blink. You acted like the adults? Ha. Mother would slap you for even listening to that remark if she found out. "I speak the way I was taught and forced to remember. Not doing so would have only ended with more severe punishments for my ineptitude."_

_The boy blinked in realization that you had to endure the same lifestyle, and his scowl retreated a little. "What do you want?"_

_You walk closer and poke the child between his brows. "If you continue scowling like that, it'll eventually stick."_

_The boy sneered at you. "Your _mommy_ tell you that?" If it wasn't apparent before, you now knew for sure that this child came from an…abrasive home like you._

"_No," you say quietly. "But I have heard other parents say it to their children…The kids usually smile when they did that, so I wanted to see if you would do the same."_

"_Who are you?" He asked again, but in a quieter voice. His glower finally gone._

_This time his question was a test. "Offspring of the White Mask." _

"_Child of the Devil Storm."_

_Children of assassins didn't really have a name. You were just a tool until you could separate from the entire entity that was your parents._

_The boy stared for a bit before returning to his previous position before you came. You took this as a sign that it was all right to stay. You could no longer read hostile energy radiating off the boy, so you took a seat next to him._

_The two of you sit in silence for a little while before you eye the throbbing red mark and decide to speak up. "Marsh mallow roots would help the swelling and they're easier to hide than ice."_

_You dig through you small purse (which mother actually meant for just accessory purposes to decorate your outfit) and pull out a small jar meant for lip balm. You open the lid to reveal a medical salve instead, offering the container to the other child. "Here, you can actually have it. I made it myself. I have to use it a lot this time of year because mother gets drunk more often."_

_The boy stared at you wearily before hesitatingly taking your small offering. You reach over and help dab the part of the wound that you could see. The raven wince initially, then sighed in relief. He offered you a small grateful smile. "Why are you helping me?"_

_You tilt you head in thought before shrugging. "Something just told me I should and you seemed like you needed it."_

_The two of you fall back into a companionable silence, both staring at nothing in particular. You preferred sitting with this boy, than the crowd inside the building._

"_Well look who we have here." The boy jumps again, but you remain unsurprised. You had felt father's target approaching you a long time ago. "To think, that the children of two highly mentionable assassins would just hand themselves over to me. I'm touched, what a wonderful gift."_

_This man was a fool if he thought that you parents would actually make an attempt to save you at their own risk, and you were sure it was the same for the boy beside you._

_But you shouldn't think about that right now. Kill any target if they approach you while alone. Father had left you that task and punishment for failing would be worse than anything this guy could think up. You send a flurry of thorns you had been collecting from the rose bush behind you, each of them imbeding themselves deep within the adult's flesh._

_He screams in pain and pulls out a gun, firing blindly. You 'tsk', the man was making too much noise. Father has surely heard and now you wouldn't be allowed to eat tonight._

_You turn when you hear another shout and see the other kid cowering in fear. Apparently he has never been near battle before. _

"_Look out!" You pull the boy out of the way of the next bullet at the expense of taking a bullet to your thigh. _

_You hiss lightly, but dig it out and throw it back at the man, where it slashed through an eye and into the skull. Before the man's corpse could even hit the floor, you had pulled out a roll of bandages and started taking care of your wound._

"_Wh-Why did you save me?"_

_You pause to look up at the other kid. "Taking care of two bodies would be a pain."_

_The boy grimaced a little, but pressed forward with his questioning. "How come you were able to kill so easily?"_

_You glance down at the lifeless body and shrug. "I was born to be an assassin. Emotions are not required and therefore killing is just like any other action, such as breathing or feeding yourself."_

_You finish taking care of your wound before disposing of the body and any evidence that there was a fight in silence. After brushing debris off your dress (although mother would go into a fit of rage once she spotted the hole), you start to head back up to the party._

"_Wait!"_

_You turn slightly with an eyebrow raised. "What do you want, brat?"_

_Pink dusted the boy's cheek as he glared at you. "I'm not a brat!"_

"_As long as you are that much weaker than me, you are," you counter dismissively. _

_The boy glared, but then took you by surprise with a confident smirk. "Next time we meet, I'll be stronger than you by leaps and bounds kid."_

_You stare back, you expression as impassive as always. "You do that." You return to the party without saying another word._

_That night mother had a fit._

_A month after that, father informed you that he assassinated the boy and his family._

* * *

_Years later_

_You glance around the ballroom in boredom. Showcases, that's all they were, especially during the holidays. Then again, the Vongola did know their stuff. The hall certainly looked very…Christmas-y._

_A scowl tries to bore its way through your shoulder, to which you brush off easily a butterfly and look around to see a scowling raven haired ten year old child, his crimson eyes glowing._

"_What do you want brat," you ask apathetically. _

_The child scowled. "I'm not a brat!"_

"_As long as you are weaker than me, then you are," you refute indifferently._

_Hm. Déjà vu._

_The child continued glare at you, even as he huffed and crossed his arms. "The old man has a message for you."_

"_Does he now?" You reply flippantly. You return your gaze to the gathering of annoying people._

"_He says he wishes you would enjoy the party more and that you should feel free to mingle and get to know some of the people you could take on as clients."_

"_Mm, already done," you hum. You had gathered potential client data right away. Now you were just whiling away your time until you could finally escape this event without appearing rude._

"_Then perhaps you would like to dance?" A short glance to your side gave view of one of the 'annoying threesome' as you had dubbed them, the first in line for the title Decimo: Enrico. The twenty year old smiled charmingly (at least in his opinion from what you read of his aura). "A rich, wintery blue fits you."_

"_Gert lost." Short, sweet, and to the point._

_Before the man could take offense, there was a chortle and Nono came over. "You shouldn't try your usual tactics to charm this woman my son. The Nightingale is not like the rest of them."_

…_Annoying._

_You sigh. Just another hour. Come on. You could make it._

"_Ah, so you are Signora Nightingale. It's a pleasure to meet you in person." Enrico bowed and reached for your hand, only to find your arms crossed._

_You raise an eyebrow and the man a pointed look. "I don't approve of pedophilia, so please take your empty words elsewhere. To think, that the Vongola would condone one of their own trying to seduce a mere thirteen year old." This last comment was meant as a jibe toward Nono, but you were only met with good natured laughter. You huffed. No fun._

"_You must forgive him. My son is still learning." The Vongola Nono smiled genially. "Perhaps you could teach him a few things while you're here?"_

"_My apologies Nono, but she was waiting for me." A hand descended upon your shoulder, punctuating the newcomer's sentence._

"_Hah?" You…waiting for this guy?_

_...I don't think so._

_But before you could walk away, the hand pulled you closer and secured you against the body of your arch nemesis. You narrow your eyes at the person. "Damn you, Reborn."_

_The hitman smirked. "If you don't mind, I'd like to share a dance with my old friend."_

_You snorted quietly. The day you and Reborn were friends was the day pigs learned to fly. Needless to say, anything closer than that meant that hell had frozen over._

"_Of course, enjoy yourselves." Nono waved you two away with a smile and before you even got a chance to protest, Reborn had pulled you out onto the dance floor._

_You sigh. Double annoying._

"_What, no good at dancing?" Reborn said with a smirk as he took the lead along with the start of the music._

_Ooh. Light bulb~!_

_You smirk. "Why yes. You must forgive my two left feet." Your heel comes down hard on the others foot._

_Reborn didn't even blink. "Is that so? Well that's quite all right. Everyone has trouble now and then."_

_Like the other, you don't bat an eyelash to the other's foot coming down onto yours. "I'm so glad that someone of your caliber can understand." Smash._

"_Only the best for you." Crunch._

"_Oh, you're too kind." You elbowed Reborn in the gut as he twirled you around. "Please accept my gratitude." Slam._

"_Given with love I hope." Smack._

"_Of course." Bam. "What else is there?"_

"_Then let me return the favor." The hitman backed and slammed you into a pillar before pulling you painfully close as you two moved across the floor like it was nothing. No one seemed to notice your little battle._

"_Your humbleness was always one of your best qualities." Knee to the groin during the dip, you smirk when the hitman grimaced the slightest amount at that._

_Reborn pulled you up quickly, making sure your stomach collided with the butt of his gun, winding you a little. He smirked. "Only ever to be shown to my nearest and dearest companion."_

"_I'm flattered." You hook your foot behind his knee and tug, feeling a satisfactory pop as the joint unset and reset. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."_

"_As shall I." Heel meets toes again._

_The rest of the hour before you were able to finally leave was spent…'dancing' with Reborn._

* * *

"Nee-chan! Come down!" Tsuna called excitedly. "You have to see this!"

You yawn, but obey the child, returning inside to see what the child had called you for. You blink lazily, noting that the furniture had been pushed back and the house decorated.

"We're having our very own Christmas Ball!" The brunet cheered.

"Ooh! This will be so fun!" Nana chipped in excitedly. "Reborn, JJ, why don't you two dance together!"

"How about not-"

"Sure, Mama," Reborn interrupted and pulled you forward.

You sigh but follow his lead. It's not like you could say no to the woman anyways.

"_Ooooh_~! This is so cute! Wait! I have to get the camera!" The older female ran out of the room faster than you thought the other could outside of a sale.

More importantly, this opening gave you a chance. You slammed your heel onto the other hitman's toes with a smirk. "Just like old times, eh Reborn?"

The raven smirked and replied in turn with a heel of his own. "Make it more interesting that last time, would you?"

Heel to toe. "Of course. Merry Christmas brat."

Heel to toe. "Buon Natale uccellino." [Merry Christmas little bird]

Slam. _Slam_. Slam. _Slam_.

"Eek! What are you two doing nee-chan?" Tsuna shrieked.

"Dancing, of course," you reply casually as you stomp down on Reborn's foot.

"This is how we always dance," the raven follows up along with a foot collision of his own.

It would be safe to say that Tsuna gained a fear for dancing because of this. But he'd grow out of it…eventually. Giotto, not so much.

But that's what made this holiday season so wonderful.

You couldn't wait to show them how you and Reborn celebrated New Years.

* * *

**Reviews are lovely~!**


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